Monday, February 27, 2017

Mike Shirtzer—MORE There is a motion for a stipend for NYSUT convention. How many delegates and why $617?

Schoor—You know how many there are. You run for it. 750. Some delegates don’t go. There is a smaller stipend for those who do not take hotel. We take it because there are 7 AM. In addition meals and transportation.

Adcom minutes passed

President’s Report—Mulgrew is not here.

Staff Director’s Report—LeRoy Barr—Shares passing of union CL. Sabrina Cek. passed last week, is GoFundMe page to help with final expenses. 35 years old. Moment of silence.

Question—Asks acknowledgement of special rep. Tom Talerini. Moment of silence.

Schoor—Questions—Makes hilarious joke about how questions seem so popular.

Arthur Goldstein—MORE At our last meeting, I asked about the resolution to bring Regents grading back into home schools. I asked that it be moved up on the agenda so we could vote on it. The answer I received was that you would speak to the DOE about it after it was voted on. However, I did not ask whether you would do that. Again, I asked if we could move it up on the agenda so it could be voted on.

High schools traditionally have had that week as not only a testing week, but also as a week to catch up on midterm work, like grading projects. In my school, among others, a lot of teachers were required to do complicated midterm assignments, but got absolutely no time to grade them, as principals decided to hold classes or run class midterms during this week. This may or may not become part of a paperwork complaint I’ve filed, but meanwhile I’d like to see this resolved for next year.

At the last DA, like the one before it, this was not high on the agenda. I ask that we bring this to the top of the agenda at the next DA, I already understand your plans if it passes, and at this time I would appreciate a direct response to that request.

Schoor—We’ll take that under advisement

Mike Shirtzer—MORE—Update on IHS 145?

Rich Mantel--Had meeting with staff. Will support them. There was a rally. Was attempt by DOE to stop it, but proceeded, was on News 12. Meeting at school March 6th. Asking they become part of community learning schools.

Schirtzer—PEP tomorrow. Will ask they be removed from 3/22 PEP. Could UFT officers be there to make statement?

Mantel—We will see if they can be there. Success Academy already advertising they will have that space.

Schirtzer—We hear PEP is having conference call.

Mantel—We reached out to mayor, have not heard back, will try right now.

Marcus McArthur—MORE—on Right to Work legislation—there is a committee looking into this—Can we hear a report back on how this will impact us, and are there plans for resistance? Are we coordinating with other unions on this?

Schoor—Yes

Janella Hinds—We’re going to have additional conversations about this. Public School Proud is one way. We will be addressing them and you are welcome to join.

Schoor—Other unions asking us for advice, have reached out to us.

Jonathan Halabi—New Action—After Women’s Marches there was a sense of energy. Delegate asked when we could get back on bus. At this point there are specific actions. Where do we stand. People’s Climate March April 29th? That is particularly important place to demonstrate our concern. Week before, there are science marches. This contradicts some of the admin stances.

This coming Saturday there is a march in NYC for Educational Justice. Are we going to get involved with AQE?Schoor—Send us info. AQE is group we donate to, but don’t march lockstep with them. They are planning TV ads against governor. This is budget season. We are focused on millionaire’s tax. 3 billion to state budget. We need to weigh that.

Ashray Gupta—MORE—There is a coalition of teachers, students and attorneys who have six asks on immigrant rights. One they are excited by is our proposal for immigrant liaison. Ask for update.

Schoor—Has come up in our discussions. Parent liaison may be point person. City has been good on this. DASA passed in 2012 protects NYS students. Gives them forum if they are bullied or abused.

6:21 Mulgrew arrives.

Hopes we had decent break. Right now our focus is legislative session. Thanks A. Harmon and K. Allford. On message in Albany. Said first and foremost we have to protect education. No one can say what’s coming out of DC, but it won’t be good. In Albany we are holding well on millionaire tax. State has 3.5 billion deficit. Looking for old foundation aid, will give more money to students. Lobby day important. Carried interest loophole means hedge fund pay lower taxes. Sometimes it dies. They say rich people will leave NY.

They said all millionaires would leave as a result of tax, but there are now more of them. Let’s do it some more. Carried interest loophole Trump wanted to close, Ryan against. Mulgrew doesn’t mention Trump’s name. Many states against this, and we will push on this. Did press conference led by Jeff Klein. Will try to move this for additional revenue. Without it ed. is in trouble. With less state money feds have more leverage.

Working with other unions advocating for other legislation in case or right to work. Already a case identical to Friedrichs. We still don’t know what it means. Could some people be grandfathered? They could never get it through before. Will soon be 28 RTW states. GOP governors pushing even harder. Statewide, we have governor, mayor and our own grassroots. Our focus now must be strictly education. We cannot let public education fail. Thanks team.

Seeing this across the country. New Yorker wrote about hashtag #PublicSchoolProud. Want to use it for all unionized workers. We will continue to work nationally with AFT on all worker rights, have to get through legislative session in NY for when feds start shenanigans. That is agenda for rest of school year. Says that he has to go meet with CEC presidents.

6:30 Mulgrew leaves

Reports from districts

George Altomari—Successful program, SS conference on the 11th. Thanks President for attending. 20 presentations, great awards. Great afternoon. Gave 4 CTLE credits for teachers.

David Kazansky—Election mailings for teacher trustee Tom Brown are out. Should come to your schools. Asks petitions get signatures.

Janella Hinds—March 9th Future in Focus, college and career expo for HS students. For 10th and 11th graders.

Paul Egan—Lobby day next week March 14th. Encouraging people to sign up. DRs have links. Want to push education funding. Should be released, no CAR day, need permission. If you don’t show up you have to go to school or call in. Last DA we endorsed Bill Perkins. Happy to announce he has won. Called me to say he would be with us. Now vacancy in State Senate.

Schoor—What are major issues”

Egan—Budget, funding is important. We want interest loophole and millionaire tax expanded.Grievance update—Ellen Procida—Class size labor management committee met twice in February. Want to address class size issues long and short term. Discussed additional space, staggered schedules, schools at least four years out of compliance. DRs involved. Coming up with plans for each of these schools. Class size arbitrations will start March 1st. Want to come to agreement before arbitration. When school is reorganized, school ends and remedy ends. Remedy continues until we come up with something else, even if it is new teachers with oversized classes. We think that’s positive. We are waiting on specific plans. All the people who need to be part of the conversations are there.

We have APPR complaints for procedural objections. Winning 75%, and got a whole rating overturned. We can take 13% of ineffectives to arbitrator. We’ve been taking people with ratings based on harassment. Student sample sizes were so small we had them based on 3 kids. They were taken care of. If you have fewer than 6 kids, 23 teachers changed, without a hearing.

Para suspension arbitration is happening. Number of people not being suspended who would have been.

Jonathan Halabi—New Action—How many schools is committee looking at?

Procida--19.

Schoor—now D-rated teachers can be part of 13%. Some principals are rating CLs D just to give them TIP.

Executive Board February 27th--We Won't March Because We Don't Want to Offend Cuomo

Howie Schoor, Secretary, welcomes us.

Approval of minutes—Exec Bd. Feb 6 approved

Adcom Feb 17th—

Mike Shirtzer—MORE There is a motion for a stipend for NYSUT convention. How many delegates and why $617?

Schoor—You know how many there are. You run for it. 750. Some delegates don’t go. There is a smaller stipend for those who do not take hotel. We take it because there are 7 AM. In addition meals and transportation.

Adcom minutes passed

President’s Report—Mulgrew is not here.

Staff Director’s Report—LeRoy Barr—Shares passing of union CL. Sabrina Cek. passed last week, is GoFundMe page to help with final expenses. 35 years old. Moment of silence.

Question—Asks acknowledgement of special rep. Tom Talerini. Moment of silence.

Schoor—Questions—Makes hilarious joke about how questions seem so popular.

Arthur Goldstein—MORE At our last meeting, I asked about the resolution to bring Regents grading back into home schools. I asked that it be moved up on the agenda so we could vote on it. The answer I received was that you would speak to the DOE about it after it was voted on. However, I did not ask whether you would do that. Again, I asked if we could move it up on the agenda so it could be voted on.

High schools traditionally have had that week as not only a testing week, but also as a week to catch up on midterm work, like grading projects. In my school, among others, a lot of teachers were required to do complicated midterm assignments, but got absolutely no time to grade them, as principals decided to hold classes or run class midterms during this week. This may or may not become part of a paperwork complaint I’ve filed, but meanwhile I’d like to see this resolved for next year.

At the last DA, like the one before it, this was not high on the agenda. I ask that we bring this to the top of the agenda at the next DA, I already understand your plans if it passes, and at this time I would appreciate a direct response to that request.

Schoor—We’ll take that under advisement

Mike Shirtzer—MORE—Update on IHS 145?

Rich Mantel--Had meeting with staff. Will support them. There was a rally. Was attempt by DOE to stop it, but proceeded, was on News 12. Meeting at school March 6th. Asking they become part of community learning schools.

Schirtzer—PEP tomorrow. Will ask they be removed from 3/22 PEP. Could UFT officers be there to make statement?

Mantel—We will see if they can be there. Success Academy already advertising they will have that space.

Schirtzer—We hear PEP is having conference call.

Mantel—We reached out to mayor, have not heard back, will try right now.

Marcus McArthur—MORE—on Right to Work legislation—there is a committee looking into this—Can we hear a report back on how this will impact us, and are there plans for resistance? Are we coordinating with other unions on this?

Schoor—Yes

Janella Hinds—We’re going to have additional conversations about this. Public School Proud is one way. We will be addressing them and you are welcome to join.

Schoor—Other unions asking us for advice, have reached out to us.

Jonathan Halabi—New Action—After Women’s Marches there was a sense of energy. Delegate asked when we could get back on bus. At this point there are specific actions. Where do we stand. People’s Climate March April 29th? That is particularly important place to demonstrate our concern. Week before, there are science marches. This contradicts some of the admin stances.

This coming Saturday there is a march in NYC for Educational Justice. Are we going to get involved with AQE?Schoor—Send us info. AQE is group we donate to, but don’t march lockstep with them. They are planning TV ads against governor. This is budget season. We are focused on millionaire’s tax. 3 billion to state budget. We need to weigh that.

Ashray Gupta—MORE—There is a coalition of teachers, students and attorneys who have six asks on immigrant rights. One they are excited by is our proposal for immigrant liaison. Ask for update.

Schoor—Has come up in our discussions. Parent liaison may be point person. City has been good on this. DASA passed in 2012 protects NYS students. Gives them forum if they are bullied or abused.

6:21 Mulgrew arrives.

Hopes we had decent break. Right now our focus is legislative session. Thanks A. Harmon and K. Allford. On message in Albany. Said first and foremost we have to protect education. No one can say what’s coming out of DC, but it won’t be good. In Albany we are holding well on millionaire tax. State has 3.5 billion deficit. Looking for old foundation aid, will give more money to students. Lobby day important. Carried interest loophole means hedge fund pay lower taxes. Sometimes it dies. They say rich people will leave NY.

They said all millionaires would leave as a result of tax, but there are now more of them. Let’s do it some more. Carried interest loophole Trump wanted to close, Ryan against. Mulgrew doesn’t mention Trump’s name. Many states against this, and we will push on this. Did press conference led by Jeff Klein. Will try to move this for additional revenue. Without it ed. is in trouble. With less state money feds have more leverage.

Working with other unions advocating for other legislation in case or right to work. Already a case identical to Friedrichs. We still don’t know what it means. Could some people be grandfathered? They could never get it through before. Will soon be 28 RTW states. GOP governors pushing even harder. Statewide, we have governor, mayor and our own grassroots. Our focus now must be strictly education. We cannot let public education fail. Thanks team.

Seeing this across the country. New Yorker wrote about hashtag #PublicSchoolProud. Want to use it for all unionized workers. We will continue to work nationally with AFT on all worker rights, have to get through legislative session in NY for when feds start shenanigans. That is agenda for rest of school year. Says that he has to go meet with CEC presidents.

6:30 Mulgrew leaves

Reports from districts

George Altomari—Successful program, SS conference on the 11th. Thanks President for attending. 20 presentations, great awards. Great afternoon. Gave 4 CTLE credits for teachers.

David Kazansky—Election mailings for teacher trustee Tom Brown are out. Should come to your schools. Asks petitions get signatures.

Janella Hinds—March 9th Future in Focus, college and career expo for HS students. For 10th and 11th graders.

Paul Egan—Lobby day next week March 14th. Encouraging people to sign up. DRs have links. Want to push education funding. Should be released, no CAR day, need permission. If you don’t show up you have to go to school or call in. Last DA we endorsed Bill Perkins. Happy to announce he has won. Called me to say he would be with us. Now vacancy in State Senate.

Schoor—What are major issues”

Egan—Budget, funding is important. We want interest loophole and millionaire tax expanded.Grievance update—Ellen Procida—Class size labor management committee met twice in February. Want to address class size issues long and short term. Discussed additional space, staggered schedules, schools at least four years out of compliance. DRs involved. Coming up with plans for each of these schools. Class size arbitrations will start March 1st. Want to come to agreement before arbitration. When school is reorganized, school ends and remedy ends. Remedy continues until we come up with something else, even if it is new teachers with oversized classes. We think that’s positive. We are waiting on specific plans. All the people who need to be part of the conversations are there.

We have APPR complaints for procedural objections. Winning 75%, and got a whole rating overturned. We can take 13% of ineffectives to arbitrator. We’ve been taking people with ratings based on harassment. Student sample sizes were so small we had them based on 3 kids. They were taken care of. If you have fewer than 6 kids, 23 teachers changed, without a hearing.

Para suspension arbitration is happening. Number of people not being suspended who would have been.

Jonathan Halabi—New Action—How many schools is committee looking at?

Procida--19.

Schoor—now D-rated teachers can be part of 13%. Some principals are rating CLs D just to give them TIP.

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Views expressed herein are solely those of the author or authors, and do not reflect views of my employers, the United Federation of Teachers, the MORE Caucus or any other union caucus.

Stories herein containing unnamed or invented characters are works of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.